EXPERIENCE THE FOREST AS ART NOW

The human relationship to the forest seems simple. We love to immerse ourselves in their beauty because it brings us closer to nature and provides an escape from the bustle of everyday life.

ELLIE DAVIES

British multimedia artist Ellie Davies makes us think a little bit harder about this relationship, as she showcases forests as a fusion of nature, culture, and human activity.

Davies treats the forest like an art installation. For the last 7 years, she has engaged with the wooded landscape in a wide range of fascinating ways. 

Once, she suspended smoke in the cool forest air. Another time, she painted trees and projected light patterns onto them. In another work, she fabulous structures to augment the trees’ realities.

Each installation uses different materials. Each is always temporary and non-invasive.

“The forest represents the confluence of nature, culture, and human activity,” Davies explains. 

“Forests are potent symbols in folklore, fairy tale and myth, places of enchantment and magic as well as of danger and mystery,” Davies continues. 

“In more recent history they have come to be associated with psychological states relating to the unconscious. Against this backdrop my work explores the ways in which identity is formed by the landscapes we live and grow up in.”

Davies’ most recent series, Stars, projects starscapes, taken by the Hubble telescope, over forest landscapes. It distances us from the natural world by juxtaposing a familiar woodscape with the more alien beauty of outer space.

In another series, Between The Trees, smoke slowly wafts throughout the forest, making the movement of time imperceptible. These photos capture the feeling of standing in the woods, frozen in time and space.

Davies received her MA in photography from the London College of Communication. During this time, she started photographing people in manmade or urban environments.

Soon after, Davies removed human subjects from the equation. She began thinking about the unseen potential of landscapes, and about landscapes as social constructions. These thoughts later inspired her beautiful forest photography.

Davies is still working on expanding her Stars series and has several other series in the works.

See more on her website.

Read more about Beautiful Forests, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including Explore the Beauty of Forests in 10 Gorgeous New Books Now, Mysterious Basque Forests are so Beautiful, Now! and Love & Eat the Forest Now!

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Ellie Davies. Between the Trees.
2. Image: by Ellie Davies. Come With Me.
3. Image: by Ellie Davies. Stars.
4. Image: by Ellie Davies. Smoke and Mirrors Heathland.
5. Image: by Ellie Davies. Stars.
6. Image: by Ellie Davies. Stars.
7. Image: by Ellie Davies. Stars.
8. Image: by Ellie Davies. Stars.
9. Image: by Ellie Davies. Between the Trees.
10. Image: by Ellie Davies. Smoke and Mirrors Heathland.
11. Image: by Ellie Davies. Between the Trees.
12. Image: by Ellie Davies. Stars.
13. Image: by Ellie Davies. Knit One, Pearl One.
14. Image: by Ellie Davies. Smoke and Mirrors Heathland.
15. Image: by BN App - Download now!
16. Image: by Ellie Davies. Another Green World.